Kaiser Permanente's contract with Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert Care Network ends between Aug. 30 and Oct. 1.
Hi-Desert Medical Center will no longer be in-network as of Aug. 30, while Desert Regional Medical Center and JFK Memorial Hospital follow suit Oct. 1, according to the Desert Sun.
Rancho Mirage, Calif.-based Eisenhower Medical Center will join Kaiser Permanente's network Oct. 1, marking the start of a 10-year contract.
While Desert Care Network CEO Michele Finney described the contract ending as "abrupt," Kaiser Permanente members told the Desert Sun that when negotiations began in March, the insurer made it clear that they were going to look toward Eisenhower as a main affiliate, while still maintaining some ties with Desert Care.
About 44,000 local Kaiser Permanente members will be affected by the network changes, according to the Desert Sun.